I saw over the weekend a write up of the new P2002 MkII. While it looks like they made great improvements, wouldn't this position it directly against the Astore? Or is the the Astore more 'high end' with the MkII being a Toyota and the Astore being a Lexus?

You are correct. The Sierra is a less expensive alternative to the Astore.The Sierra MKII will only be available with the 912uls and older style nosewheel gear.It Is a beautiful aircraft and with many updates will be attractive to the cost conscious buyer.

We will have it at the Sebring Expo the end of January for all to see!

I watched the short video on YouTube, looks great in the video. I did have the same reaction as Merlin, it might pull a few sales away from the Astore. Then again, the P92 (which I'm flying in) is still out there and the P2008 seems to be selling just fine, so I'm guessing it will be the same synergy in the low wing product line now. I still prefer the steerable and seemingly heavier duty nose wheel set up. If I had the money a new P2002 would be on the short list.

I just looked at the specs on the website and two things looked weird, the ROTAX shows 98HP on the table and Max takeoff is listed as 1,389??? Is that the European version specs???

On a side note the PR team at Tecnam did a great job producing that video....

The photo is somewhat missleading because that panel is for the certified aircraft we sell in Europe.I personally have not yet seen the panel of the Sierra MkII we will be displaying at the Sebring expo but I know it will be very similar to the Astore.I agree the certified panel does look nice!!

If they aren't careful, it may be Cessna 177 versus Cessna 172 again. However, in this market the more expensive airplanes sell better, so I don't think Astore is in any particular trouble. The only thing I don't like about it is how heavy it is. 511 lbs useful load is quite borderline, and CTLS has 550 lbs (I take it, both numbers are with chute - can't imagine hitting 511 lbs without chute).

The Sierra Mk 2 is available only with the 912 ULS; as noted above, it has the older style nose gear. It also has a stabilator vs. an elevator in the Astore. As a result, the max cruise speed on the Astore is 120 knots (per LSA regulation) whereas on the Sierra it's 110 knots (this is off the website). The panels and avionics will be about the same.

Because the Astore is slightly faster and has the 912iS and 914 engines as an option, I expect future Astore customers to choose that aircraft over the Sierra. For customers who only want the 912ULS engine, the cost savings of a Sierra Mk 2 would be attractive.

My understanding, however, is that most Astore customers have chosen the 912iS or 914 engines rather than the 912 ULS engines, which is why I think they updated the Sierra and only offer the 912 engine.

I also think (and this may be wishful thinking!) Tecnam may wind up repositioning its line-up after the Rotax 915iS engine and Part 23 certification changes are made and we may see a higher-speed 2-place, certified "simple aircraft" version of the Astore with the new engine and constant speed propeller, for example.

Tecnam is an interesting company; they are the world's largest aviation manufacturer that is devoted solely to piston aircraft. No biz jets or turbines. But they are third behind Textron and Piper and the biggest non-US GA manufacturer. I find it so interesting that they have focused on light singles and twins (other than the new piston commuter the P2012) where the other companies have been chasing the business jets/turbines so aggressively.

Nice aircraft. Should come with a weight watchers membership. LSAs seem to be converging toward a mission of flight training where load carrying isn't as important as it is in touring and cross country. Bristell is an exception, but many desirable features are expensive extras rather than standard.